mental health Archives - Alternative First Responders

Alternative First Responders | Having a mental health crisis is not a crime

July 2, 2026

Having a mental health crisis is not a crime

The AFR team stood alongside BEING – the peak body for mental health consumers in NSW – Leesa Topic (mother of Courtney Topic), Nichole and Sharee (cousins of Jodi Knott) …

AFR Team – Blog

March 31, 2026

Young people deserve support, not police force

March 31, 2026

SUBMISSION SUMMARY In March 2026, the Alternative First Responders (AFR) Team put forward a submission to the New South Wales (NSW) Select Committee on Youth Justice advocating for the …

AFR Team – News, Submission

Alternative First Responders | Inquiry into Australia’s youth justice and incarceration system

March 9, 2026

More than ambulances replacing police: What does better crisis response look like?

March 9, 2026

Dr Chris Maylea is a social worker, lawyer, and Professor of Law at La Trobe University. He has practice experience in mental health services as a social worker and manager, …

Dr Chris Maylea and Dr Panos Karanikolas – Blog, Opinion Piece

Alternative First Responders | Alternatives not quasi-policing

November 10, 2025

Building an Ecosystem of Care

November 10, 2025

When looking at the numerous contexts and communities that stand to benefit from the establishment of alternative first responders, the area of mental health is hard to ignore. It is …

AFR Team – Blog

RELATED MEDIA

Carly couldn’t get the healthcare she needed. She almost didn’t make it home, 1 July, Sydney Morning Herald
Open Letter Signed: having a mental health crisis is not a crime, 24 June, Being – NSW peak body for mental health consumers
AFR Campaign Lead delivers speech outside NSW Parliament, 24 June, Being – NSW peak body for mental health consumers
AFR Advocate interview, 3CR Radio, 30 June, 3CR Radio
Inside Australia’s Mental Health System, 23 June, Farrago Magazine
Alternatives to Police as First Responders, 18 June, About Time Magazine
3CR Radio Interview with AFR Campaign Lead, 2 June, 3CR Radio
Why Australia Needs Alternative First Responders, 1 June, ABC Radio
Why public confidence in the police and justice system is plunging, 25 May, Sydney Morning Herald
No funding spent under $842 million NT remote Aboriginal services agreement, documents reveal, 25 May, National Indigenous Times
Kimberley Aboriginal community sets new blueprint for health and wellbeing, 16 March, National Indigenous Times
AFR Campaign Lead Interview with 4ZZZ Radio, 7 March, 4ZZZ Radio
Centring community and care: why Australia needs an alternative to police-first responses 11 October, Cheek Media

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Alternative First Responders | Building an Ecosystem of Care

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Alternative First Responders | Building an Ecosystem of Care

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